ACHP Episode 447 Starbucks Administrative Leave
Episode Summary
Episode 447 of A Cigar Hustler's Podcast finds Mike Palmer, co-host Mikey Stepankiewicz and engineer Boots running through their usual mix of news, industry chatter and cigar releases. The non-cigar half opens with Disney's reported $10 million ultra-luxury theme park package (private jets, after-hours park access, Imagineer-led tours) — which the crew spoofs with their own $500 "Cigar Hustler Podcast VIP Experience" — plus falling Florida gas prices hitting a statewide average around $2.69, the lowest since 2021. They also break down the viral story of a Starbucks barista placed on administrative leave after drawing a pig on an officer's cup, digging into the origin of "pig" as police slang and the broader issue of nicotine and cigar bans for officers in some jurisdictions.
The industry segment is where the episode earns its keep. Mikey raises a warning about fake and hacked social accounts astroturfing cigar pages — including bogus comments under a Cigar Hustler post about Fuente's Opus X Society steering shoppers to another retailer's site — and praises Jeff of Classic Cigars Tulsa for calling it out, arguing retailer-to-retailer solidarity and more podcasters (like Joe Pasquale's new show) are good for the business. There's also a quick congratulations to Alan Rubin on his Santa Clara news.
Cigar news covers Mel Shah's M Bombay bringing back the Mora line with two aged releases rolled in 2019 — a Mexican San Andrés wrapper over Ecuadorian binder with Honduran, Nicaraguan and Pennsylvania filler, in Robusto and Toro, roughly 2,768 and 2,764 boxes respectively. Cigar Oasis expands its Integra-made Oasis Pack humidity pouches to 65% and 72% in the 67-gram size at $5.50 each, prompting a discussion of whether it can undercut Boveda. El Septimo enters Canada through Toronto-area distributor Tobac Arsenal with Sacred Arts and Emperor Collection selections, and Bocock Brothers adds two officially licensed collegiate cigars: a Syracuse Special Edition Corojo (Honduran Corojo wrapper, Toro, blue-and-orange box) and a Dak Prescott/Mississippi State edition with a Sumatra wrapper. The show closes with "What's the Score," guessing Half Wheel's 2018 review score for the Oscar Valladares 2012 Oscar Barber Pole Candela — a $8.97 Toro with pizza crust, orange peel and peanut butter notes hampered by tight draw and wrapper burn issues — which landed at 90.
In This Episode
- 01Disney's $10 Million VIP Park ExperienceThe crew reacts to Disney's ultra-luxury global package and counters with their own $500 Cigar Hustler Podcast VIP experience.
- 02Florida Gas Prices Hit a Four-Year LowStatewide averages drop to about $2.69 a gallon, with regional spreads from the Panhandle to Boca Raton and talk of rates and housing.
- 03Starbucks Pig-on-the-Cup ControversyA barista is placed on administrative leave after drawing a pig on a police officer's cup, sparking a debate about intent, social media and nicotine bans for cops.
- 04Fake Social Accounts Targeting Cigar PagesBogus comments under a post about Opus X Society push shoppers to a rival retailer, and Jeff from Classic Cigars Tulsa calls it out.
- 05M Bombay Brings Back MoraMel Shah revives the Mora line with two aged releases rolled in 2019 using a Mexican San Andrés wrapper and multi-country filler.
- 06Cigar Oasis Expands Oasis Pack Humidity PouchesNew 65% and 72% options in the 67-gram Integra-made packs at $5.50, and whether they can compete with Boveda on price and build.
- 07El Septimo Enters Canada via Tobac ArsenalThe Toronto-area distributor picks up Sacred Arts and Emperor Collection selections alongside PDR and Sinclair.
- 08Bocock Brothers Collegiate Cigars: Syracuse and Dak PrescottTwo officially licensed releases — a Syracuse Corojo Toro and a Mississippi State/Dak Prescott Sumatra — priced around $14.50 and $16.25.
- 09What's the Score: Oscar Valladares 2012 Barber PoleThe crew guesses the review score for the Candela box-pressed barber pole with pizza crust and peanut butter notes, landing at 90.
Brands & Cigars Discussed
Linked items are in our shop. Mentions without a link aren’t currently stocked or couldn’t be matched with confidence.
Transcript
Red light, go. Green light, go. All right, here we are. What?
Go ahead. Don't over-talk me, then. This is the intro. Welcome to a Cigar Hustler podcast, episode 447.
It's Wednesday, January 13th. It's 2026, and Brittany Stabankiewicz's birthday! Happy birthday! No, that was yesterday.
We covered that yesterday. Yeah, but her birthday, oh, her birthday's today that we're recording. Yeah. Oh, her birthday was yesterday!
Oh, happy birthday yesterday! You're a mess. Well, we're actually recording on her birthday. I can't believe Palmer just pulled the fire alarm on that.
I'm Mike Palmer, your host, and with me today in Engineering, we have Boots. I don't invite Brittany to my parties either. Hippelhauser. Kippelhauser.
Wow. And my co-host, Mikey. I saw Preston today, and I'm in such a good mood. Step on Kiewicz.
On today's show, Disney tickets, now $10 million. Ooh. American? American.
Florida has it, but it's good news. Florida has the cheapest gas. Here, piggy piggy, it's coffee time. Then in cigars, El Septimo goes to Canada, eh?
Another new cigar, and the Oasis is wet, And the Bocock Boys are back in the news. Oh boy. Then we wrap it up with a what's the score mini game. I like your surprise, we do that every day.
Mikey, how does one get the CHPod swag? com. Probably shouldn't eat during the show. Look at him real quick.
Don't look at me, I'm not eating. Stay there. My camera crooked, it looks like it's slanted. Like nobody can hear you smacking.
Yeah. Can I hear you? The beef jerky. Here we go.
Okay. The lunch show. Give it to me. There he is.
What you want to do is like and subscribe to our show wherever you're watching it. com for all of our chpod swag. Buy one, get the second one 40% off. Spend $100 or more and get free shipping on your order.
Also, check out the Postana San Andreas Corona Gorda. I got to announce my five and I don't have them off hand, so I'll get them as you're talking. com. com.
com. Okay, and then I'm going to get you these five. Hmm. All right, go ahead.
No, go ahead. Oh, on with the show. Yeah. All right, Disney has officially unveiled what might be the most exclusive theme park ticket in history.
A $10 million Disney experience, and it's not just about skipping lines. This ultra-luxury package is designed for elite travelers who want Disney with zero limits. We're talking private jet travel, five-star resorts, personal Disney concierge, VIP park access, and behind-the-scenes experience most people will never see. $10 million, I would imagine not many people will see it at all.
Guests are flown between Disney destinations around the world, including Orlando, California, Tokyo, Paris, and Shanghai, with every detail handled from the moment they leave home. No security lines, no hotel check-ins, no waiting, just curated magic. Inside the parks, the experience goes far beyond lightning lanes. Guests receive.
Mike, what guests receive? Tell me. After hours, private park access, personalized character interactions, and exclusive dining events, and guided tours led by Disney historians and Imagineers. You're not just visiting Disney, you're stepping inside its legacy.
Do you get to sleep in the castle? $10 million. I'm sleeping wherever I want and whatever princess I want. I don't know if it works that way.
10 million dollars. 10 million dollars, man! Yeah. I would like Pocahontas and the one with the long hair.
Yeah. I don't know. That sounds... And I want to see Mickey's real face.
The trip also includes luxury cruise aboard Disney's newest ships, Michelin-level dining, and custom experience built around each guest entrance. See, that's where you get the princesses. Whether that's Star Wars, oh, or Princess Leia, apparently. Marvel, Pixar, or classic Disney history.
So why $2 million? Because Disney isn't selling tickets anymore. They're selling a once-in-a-lifetime storytelling at the highest level of hospitality on Earth. Wow.
So with this in mind, we're offering... Oh, wait, this is something else. So this is where we talk about it. Do you think all that stuff goes in a row?
Is it like, I mean, they talked about all the different parks, the cruise ship, the private jets, everything, do you like, they pick you up one day and you don't come back for six years? Well, first of all, I'm going to tell Tim Tebow about you, because you want to talk, you're talking about spending millions of dollars so you can sleep with princesses, and that's a little creepy. Why Tebow, though? Yeah, because he's all about the sex trafficking thing and he's putting us out.
I didn't traffic anybody, this is what Disney's offering, this is not trafficking. You're a contributing, you're a contributing factor. No, I'm not. No.
That's a problem. Well, not the same thing, but go ahead, tell Tim I said hi. All right, I'll tell Tim. I heard he was on Epstein's Island, allegedly.
What? I heard he was on Epstein's Island, allegedly. No, he wasn't. Don't you say that about him.
That's what I heard. He's one of the blackouts. Don't you talk about the sweet man, Tim Tebow. Is he playing on the Buccaneers or something?
No. Oh. Just a good guy. Playing on the Buccaneers.
Something's gonna come out. Okay. Oh, these your five guys? Yeah, just for the record.
Caribbean Cigars in Miami. Right in the middle of my story. It's nice. Cigar Train in Washington.
Yes. Dave & Sons in Arkansas. They're great. Casper Cigar Company in Wyoming, and Mardo's Cigars in Sarasota, so check out those shops for the Posana San Andreas Corona Gorda.
Five more to come tomorrow. Bing bong. Okay, and back to my story, because I was prepared. Uh-huh.
Well, I'm not. I'm not prepared. Obviously. Well, Preston was here.
You got a little... Woo-hoo! I got... Was he prepared for Preston's show?
Uh, they didn't do a show. They just chit-chatted. Oh, it was just catch-up time. It was just like a date.
Like he was coaching Mikey on how to do his own league? They don't even do the facade of the fake podcast anymore. Oh. Is that what it is?
Nope, now they just hang out. They're just telling their wives that there's a podcast on. Oh, they're not selling the podcast, they're just creating experience for them. Correct.
Got it. All right, so with all this in mind, we're offering listeners the Boots & Palmer Once-in-a-Lifetime Cigar Hustler Podcast Experience. Yes. Finally a way for us to make money, Boots.
It's all on Greg's Dime. Here's what you get. $10 million? No, no.
We're much more reasonable. Here's what you get. You get to come in early on a show day and participate with me as I put up all the equipment. Nice.
That's an experience. Yeah. During the show, you get to sit with Boots and make stupid comments. Perfect.
You get to have your own money makers pick of the week. Legendary. I figured that could be any better than his. Yeah.
It could be worse either. Wow. You get to read the show's introduction and make fun of the king. Oh, that is epic.
This is the top one here. During the show, you get to interrupt the King at least one time while he's talking. Minimum. Right now.
Minimum. And then, as Boots does every afternoon, you get to offer to help clean up, knowing that I have anxiety about the equipment and will say no, but you still get credit for offering to help clean up. Hey, I offer. Now, for all this, you pay a one-time fee.
Tell me. In cash. I can't wait to hear this number. $500.
Perfect. Yes. Very reasonable. We split it 250, 250.
All right, so listen, now you said before that you wanted to sleep with the princesses, so for the $500 you get to sleep with one of these dudes? No, it's not $10 million. For $10 million, you can sleep with boots. So for $2 million, you'd give it up?
Wow, with boots? I said 10. Well, for $10 million, you would sleep with. You think that you're obligated to sleep with the princesses.
But for $2 million, someone can sleep with you? Oh, okay. A dude? $2 million, $2 million.
Just because you don't win time, it'll make you a whore, Michael. Well, no, you don't get $2 million. Remember, we get to split it. Only if you're participating in the rubbing job.
No, that's not what he said. Oh, you're in on it. Only if you're in on a boat. You know what?
Not with me, but I'll throw in Mikey's sweatpants thing. He'll wear sweatpants and watch? Is that what he's saying? I think so.
Oh, nice. He's about that life. That life is like so. All right, we have officially gone off the rails.
We have officially gone off the rails. Oh, God. All right. All right.
And we're eight minutes in. So where are they calling? com Do I get that email? Yes, you get that email.
You're never going to see it. If we don't respond within a reasonable amount of time, M-K-E-P-M-R at Gmail. Comment below. Comment below.
Comment below. And Mitch, we won't talk about sports. Mitch got a bum shirt, apparently. Just one little sleeve.
Yeah, one sleeve is gigantic. He didn't notice. First of all, that's not our shirt. That was his company.
Yeah, that was not a CHPod shirt. That's a company shirt. Right. Oh.
But the funny part is, He doesn't notice until halfway through the day. Something's wrong. Something's over here. I'm flapping on the side.
I got it, I promise. This side's really tight. Alright, Florida drivers are seeing some of the lowest gas prices in years after a sharp decline of about 17 cents per gallon over the last 10 days. You don't say.
Isn't it amazing? 69 per gallon, the lowest average price since 2021. This recent slide continues a broader trend of falling fuel costs. 44 cheaper than they were at this time last year.
55. Interestingly, this relief at the pump comes even as crude oil prices have ticked slightly higher. A reminder that wholesale oil markets and retail gas prices don't always move in step. For Florida drivers, the drop means a noticeable reduction in what you pay when you fill up, marking a rare stretch of sustained savings at the pump that hasn't been seen in nearly five years.
I heard food prices are going down too in Florida. This is all great news. It is all great news. Ronda Santas is going to save us all.
Did we? It's the Santas? Yeah. Did we steal food from Venezuela?
Probably. Oil. We took some. Maybe those tankers pulled up outside of Florida.
Right, I can understand the oil thing, like with the gas. Why are food prices going down? How can you understand the oil? I'm curious as to how you can understand the oil thing, because I don't think I can understand the oil thing, but please.
He's saying because the three tankers we took full of oil docked at Florida. Is that what you're saying? Yeah, yeah, we took them. So because we took them, prices have gone down.
I just don't understand how gas is more expensive in Boca versus the Panhandle. They have higher taxation by county. Oh, you think so? And they can't really add in the Panhandle, so they don't know what to do with it.
Oh, they're too close to Bama. Yeah, Alabama and Georgia is squeezed in between, so the math ain't their big thing up there. By the way, Skip just sent me a text. Alan Rubin has officially announced that he is...
Oh, yay! We're allowed to talk about it. Part of Santa Clara. So congratulations, Alan, on your release.
We didn't fuck that up for him, that's good. " Oh, on Chicago's podcast. Perfect. Congratulations, I already heard about it.
Thank you, Skip. Congratulations. Wow, first we're hearing about this, this is amazing news. So surprising.
So congratulations. I mean, you gotta love the fact that the ball breaking carries on out of the podcast. Of the podcast, and you know, it's fantastic, so I thought you guys get a kick out of that. Yes, it's very nice.
Congratulations, Mr. Rubin. So gas prices are low. Things are looking kind of up.
Right, they are. At least in Florida. Hopefully this could be a good year for everybody. Yeah.
That's what we're hoping. That would be nice. Nice new year. You know?
Yeah, I wouldn't know. Yeah, especially we get the $500 for the VIP experience of Cigar Housers podcast. I mean, I'm no economist, but allegedly, supposedly, if the Fed drops their rate and the interest rates go down a little bit, right? Yeah.
All of a sudden, people can move again without feeling the pressure of jumping from, you know, a 4% interest on a home to, you know, to an 8% interest on a home, whatever it is. Right. And then, hopefully, inventory will kind of come back up and maybe prices will come down on homes as well. Oh, that'd be nice.
Wouldn't that be nice? That would be nice. That's my theory, at least. Right.
That could be possible. Not the German economist. Yep. So if you're looking to sell your home, you probably get ahead of the curve and sell it now.
Oh, the prices are still high. Is my camera crooked? It looks crooked. Mine looks crooked too.
If the prices are high, nobody's going to buy it though. No, there's still people out there in the market. But as inventory increases, prices will come down. Which is when more people will buy.
Right. So you want to sell it while your price is high. Right. But if I was going to buy a house right now, I would wait because you just said the prices are going to come down.
Some people can't wait. Oh, okay. Right? I guess they got transferred or something.
Yeah, it's like buying a car, right? Like if you had to buy a car right now... Well, I waited almost a year, so... Nothing really changed by then.
Hmm? Do you think anything changed in the marketplace within that year? Uh, my personal financial... Right, but nothing in the marketplace.
Oh, I don't know, I didn't look at cars a year ago. Okay. Yes. But congratulations on your car.
Thank you very much. It's a beautiful car. Thank you. Thank you.
Okay. Alright, a Starbucks employee is facing national backlash after allegedly delivering a cup of coffee to a police officer with a drawing of a pig on the lid. Come on, that's funny. Was he being a dick?
Yeah, he was being a dick. He can't just be, he wasn't, he was trying to be a, it was a joke? I don't think so. I don't know, man.
I don't think cops take that very well. I think it depends on who the cop is. Well, if you're friends with a cop, but I mean, if I go into Starbucks, and I'm a police officer, and I'm just here to get a cup of coffee, and my coffee comes with a pig on it. U.
pig, or something like that, then... Still a pig, it's a derogatory statement, it's not like it's a term of a dearman to a police officer. Was it a nice, maybe it's a fraternity. Was it a cute pig?
Was it Porky the pig? No, it wasn't Porky the pig. It wasn't like, you know, a third grader drew the pig. Did it have pants?
No, it's just a face, just a head. Just a face? And they say, the story says on the lid, but the picture I saw showed it on the side of the box, With the side of the cup with his name under it. So like Phil and then a pig drawn above it.
Pig face. Maybe the guy just likes pigs. I hate that this stuff gets social media attention. Well, let's read on.
Yeah, let's figure this out. Alright. The incident reportedly took place when an off-duty officer stopped at a Starbucks location to pick up a drink during a routine shift. Off-duty.
It says off-duty, but it's in his uniform. But he's in his uniform. Illegal. No, he's like he just got off-duty.
At a Starbucks location to pick up a drink during a routine. It says during a routine shift, but it said, oh there, on duty, sorry, Typhon 8, it goes to the next line, sorry, on duty officer stopped at a Starbucks location to pick up a drink during a routine shift. According to the officer, everything seemed normal until he noticed a small hand-drawn pig sketched near his name on the cup lid, a symbol widely used online to mock law enforcement. The officer shared the image on social media, saying he felt, I'm sorry, are we bothering you?
My thing's turned all the way off, even the volume. No, it's not. Yes, it is. There's a silent button.
Was it Mikey? That's off too. Yeah, you picked up yours to see if it was you. The officer shared the image on social media saying he felt the drawing was disrespectful and unnecessary.
I go in there just like anyone else. I pay for my drink and I expect to be treated with basic respect, he wrote. The post quickly went viral, sparking intense debate. Some people defended the officer saying the drawing crossed a professional line and showed open hostility toward police.
Others argued it was harmless saying the employee was expressing personal opinion and not targeting the officer directly Starbucks responded by releasing a statement saying they were aware of the situation and were investigating internally the company emphasized that they strive to create a welcoming environment for all customers and do not support behavior that could be interpreted as disrespectful or discriminatory the employee involved has reportedly been placed on administrative leave while the company reviews store policies employee conduct guidelines story This country has reignited larger conversations about respect for law enforcement, freedom of expression in the workplace, and how political and social tensions continue to spill into everyday interactions. For now, what started as a simple cup of coffee has become another flashpoint in the ongoing national debate over policing, accountability, and mutual respect. Where did the pig symbol originate? I don't know.
I think it was back in the 70s, but I don't know why they started calling it cops pigs. If only there was some sort of device. Like, why would you draw a pig face? Like, why don't you just draw like a wiener, call him a dick?
Because they refer to police officers as pigs. I think it's just derogatory no matter what, right? Pig is derogatory no matter what? Well, they're just like, it's a derogatory image no matter what, like, oh, you're a pig, that's bad.
Well, yeah, if you call somebody a pig, it means that they're like fat or something, I guess. I guess, or I guess it could, yeah, a large, a large person. So why would it matter which picture you drew? Yeah, I don't know, I mean...
Administrative leave, just resign, man, at Starbucks. Like, we're not talking about a career here. I know, and instead of administrative leave... Well, first of all, Starbucks gotta love this, to some degree, because now they're, you know, they're getting all this attention for no reason.
Yeah, free advertisement. Well, but it's... Yeah. Yeah, I guess.
It originated in early 19th century England with the earliest documented use appearing in Francis Grose's Lexicon Valactronicum. Say that one more time? Say that one more time, please. That's as good as you're going to get from me, buddy.
A little louder? Nope. Nope. I'm a cigar guy.
I'm not a Harvard grad. 1811, it defines... But when I say things wrong, I'm an idiot. How does this work?
Yeah. Well, see, the difference is that I have no problem saying I'm an idiot. I have no problem saying I'm an idiot. Or you'll get upset with it.
Oh, your problem when you call me an idiot. As a police officer specifically referencing a China street pig slaying for a Bow Street officer, part of the early Bow Street Runners, an 18th and 19th century London investigation police force based at Bow Street Magistrates Court. Oh. That's where it came from.
China and the UK. It came from the UK. So it is bad, though. Yes.
Okay. Okay, but like, it's a kid behind the counter, could he just been screwing, he or she just been screwing around, just made a joke, haha, this is gonna be funny, like that's very possible, you know, for one. Let's say it was a large unattractive woman and he drew a pig on the cup and gave it to her. Maybe she likes piggies.
It was a large unattractive. Yeah, he was saying she was a pig. Is that okay? Like the cop was a pig?
No, no, he already did the cop thing. I'm saying, let's say it's not a cop. Right. He gives a cup with a pig on it to a lady he finds unattractive he thinks is fat.
Well, that's not a, at that point, that's not a, it's not a joke at that point, right? Like, they're making fun of somebody. Why is it a joke to use as a derogatory? I mean, it's not like that term is used in a show of affection for police officers.
No, no, I'm not saying, listen, like, here's my point. It's like, I'm not saying that it's very easy to misconstrue information that's given to us. Sure, certainly. And you don't know who the person was.
I don't know if it was a kid, if it was somebody angry. It could have been either. Yeah, you don't know if he had something against police officers. Or it could have just been a bad joke.
Or maybe just like Winnie the Pooh. Now, that's my point. Like, it's very possible that that could be it, right? " Well, I can see the cop's point of view.
" Right. Now, with that being said, one of the things that I have a big issue with... You're at Starbucks, man. What difference does that make?
It's really hard life being a cop there, huh? He's at Starbucks right now. " Yeah. Like, "All right, I'm gonna go pull your van outside.
" Yeah, yeah. Like, you know what I mean? You can make that guy's life, you can make that person's life miserable. You know what I'm gonna do?
I'm gonna get you fired. That would have been better than putting it on social media, actually. So, there's that. But, you know, one thing that we've seen in policies that have been happening a lot with government, which I totally disagree with, is the fact that a lot of police officers in specific jurisdictions are no longer allowed to smoke cigars or have nicotine content during or after or at all while they're serving, right?
What do cigarette smokers do? They can't go eight hours. That's my point. You're not allowed to smoke anymore for a lot of these places.
but look here's the reality it is a high intensity job you have to deal with so much stuff what you know you gotta you gotta transition from the crackhead to the uh domestic violence to all of these different things and like pig drawers and like you don't even get it like and not to mention yeah pig drawings right but here's my point they're not your favorite donut like if you could take the edge off for that cop and give them the opportunity to kind of unwind a little So, between stressors, like, everybody would be better off, the cop would be better off, society would be, because if, if someone were to do that to me, and I'm like, eh, whatever, you know what I mean, like, it's just the, it's the F you, it's F you buddy, it's like, all right, F you too, and then I just keep it moving, instead of saying, look at all the crap I gotta deal with as a police officer, and then I'm just trying to get a damn cup of coffee, and then there's this, right? Like, maybe it would have been easier for them if they had that, why do you keep laughing? I'm sorry, I got something playing in my head. Okay.
I don't know why. No, I'm going to do it after. I'm going to play a role play thing with Palmer after this. Oh, I love role play.
Maybe that person, you know, could use a little bit of a break is all I'm saying. Oh. The cop or the drawer? The cop.
Oh, yes. I didn't know who needed the break. Well, the drawer is getting the break. He's getting an administrative leave from Starbucks barista.
He's going to go to Dunkin' and be fine. Right. He's going to transition over. Transition over to Dunkin'.
Yeah. You want a donut with that? Oh, that was exactly... Oh man.
In the hierarchy of coffee places, Dunkin' is a step down from Starbucks? Yeah, I guess. I think it depends upon the region. Two different places though.
Yeah, because some Starbucks are nice, some of them look like shit. No, no, no. That's not what I'm saying. Like, as far as the Southeast is concerned, like Florida or whatever, I think that Starbucks is a superior option.
However, if you go to Massachusetts or New England, the Northeast area, Dunkin' dominates. Like people where you have Starbucks, a lot of times like Starbucks. It originated up there, right? No, I think it originated in Washington.
Did it? Yeah. No, no, Starbucks originated in Washington. Yeah.
I meant Dunkin'. Yeah, Seattle's best coffee is what's out west. Right. Right.
Okay. And then in Canada, it's that other company. Well, who cares? The only guy that cares is John McTavish.
He's one of our number one fans. Oh, they have Tim Hortons. Tim Horton, that's why I've been here. Yeah.
All right, so what do you want to do here? Oh, okay, Palmer. How do we role-play? Palmer, you're going to be the cop.
Okay. I'm going to be the piggy guy. Okay, so I'm waiting to hear right now. You're going to be the barista.
Yeah, I'm going to be the barista, sorry. We'll leave the piggy out of that, because we're going a different route here. All right, you're going through the drive-thru. Okay, come on to the drive-thru and order your coffee.
Yeah, like a plain black coffee, please. Would you like a donut with that? No, thank you. Oh, are you sure?
Yes. I'm going to give you a donut. I don't want a donut. They don't have a donut.
You look like you want a donut. You don't have donuts here. I'm going on administrative leave. That was terrible.
That was terrible. That made you laugh? That's better than the piggy thing. That made you laugh the whole time?
They don't sell donuts at Starbucks. First of all, if you're a criminal, stop like putting your crime in front of everybody. Okay. Because evidence will lock you up.
Right? So why'd you draw the piggy? You could have done that. Yeah, so you think that that's, oh, so what you're saying is, why draw an image that can be, but when you say something, if it's not being recorded, then, okay.
Yeah, would you like a donut? Bro, you're wild, man. Sorry. I see what he's saying, so he's insulting the cop by saying, would you like a donut?
Right. Right. See, that's not as funny. I mean, what an idiot.
There's, what, three or four people working at a Starbucks at one time? Like, they can't figure out who'd draw the pig? Like, that can't be interpreted as a joke, either. You're just being an outright asshole at that point.
Yeah. Oh, you want a donut with that pig? Why didn't you say pig? Whatever.
You never said pig. He said officer. But you could have because it wasn't recorded. I wasn't respectful.
Give me officer. Officer. I said officer. Officer, would you like to know that?
I just think it's crazy that they have all these things that they associate cops with. Like, oh, Mr. Cop, Mr. Don King, would you say something?
Mr. Don King. A.? A.?
It wasn't Don King. It was Don King, huh? Don King's the boxing promoter. Oh, who was the guy?
Rodney King? Rodney King. His brother, Rodney. Sorry.
Yeah. Wasn't the guy with the hair. It was the guy. Amazing.
See, and this is why we do this podcast. And someone's going to call one of us an idiot. I'm like, wow. No, not him.
No, it was him. Wow, that guy. I knew it wasn't. You're not allowed to say names.
Haven't we learned anything from this story? No more pigs. No more. No more.
The sad part is, though, that he is off camera, so he's going to talk, And one of us will be on camera, and they'll affiliate us as the idiot. Well, you were on the camera, so. Yeah, so perfect. 2557.
See, if you were in your sweatpants, nobody would have saw that. Yeah, it's true. The new lap camera. Oh.
Mikey, do you have a video? No, but I do have a topic that I want to discuss with you. I'm sorry, we don't have that set up for the show. I know, that's why I just wanted to plug that in.
It's not prepared. It's not prepared, that's not the way it works. Okay, so check this out. On the cigar news.
No, no, no. I got an honest question to ask you guys. Yes, sweatpants would look fine. Thank you so much.
For God's sakes. Perfect. And I don't think Preston has another friend. Okay, it's fine.
All right, we get it. Okay, you're still beating the dead horse Preston. Because he keeps laughing. Dude, I am going- Oh, you know what?
I'm sorry, we'll get you thinking, man. Okay. We should have had him stay, and he could have done this job, and I could sit over there. That poor guy.
No, you leave him alone. That would have been fun. Hey, only if he pays $500. That would have been fun for us.
No, $500, I gotta hang out with him the entire day and stuff, and then you gotta take him to lunch. No, it was just during the show. Didn't you hear the whole description? No, he comes early.
I'm stuck all day. What if the show's not till three o'clock in the afternoon? No, I don't like to mix my friends. You leave him alone.
Then why am I working on his show now? Because I like to mix my friends, but not in my workspaces. No, it's not. I see the orange.
Okay, what's your question? Sorry, what is your topic? So what's one way that a brand can kind of grow almost organically? It doesn't matter if it's in cigars or anything.
Oh, that was the next question. Hmm, grow organic. You have to bring awareness to the brand. Okay, so like how does a consumer that's already consuming it bring awareness to the brand?
How does a consumer do it? Yeah, like how do you, like, yeah, that's how it works for a lot of it. Okay, so like I'm drinking Coke and I want more people to drink Coke just because I like Coke. Right, so what do you do?
If you take pictures with the Coke, you give the Coke to other people, when you go to parties and stuff, you bring Coke with you. Or you just say, "Hey, this is the best. I love this. This is a great Coke.
This is an awesome soda. This tastes great. " But you have to do that where there are other people. This is my go-to.
" Right, this is a Coke. I like this Coke. This is a good Coke. Yeah, so that's, so, you know, and then when other people see that you're doing something in particular, then they're like, "Oh, well, you know, even if they don't know you, like, that guy really likes that.
" Okay, so you see this trend that happens on social media a lot, especially when it comes to like crypto buying or like anything that's kind of scammed somebody. All of a sudden, we were talking about this recently. Well, why would they want your social media account? Because they can log in and then they can slide you in somewhere else and say, I love so-and-so's crypto.
That guy is a guru and he knows everything, right? And you actually see that. Well, for the first time I saw that was cigars. Oh, and it was crazy.
So somebody did a post here on the Cigar Hustler Facebook page, talking about the new Opus X Society that we carry, right? " I saw that. And then somebody beneath that said, "Oh, go here. " And then the guy from the top said, "Oh, thanks so much for telling me that," or something like that.
So, for one, you go to those accounts, and those accounts are bogus. Are they really? Yeah. There's minimal information on them, so a website that's looking to promote themselves is now going to other pages, other Facebook pages, that are talking about Opus, and then plugging in fake stuff to kind of build their propaganda for people going to their site.
You think they're doing that through AI? What's that? You think they're doing that through AI? It's possible.
Or it's just bots, you know. They mentioned you. No. No.
Well, that's going to take me to the other part. Oh. Other people mentioned us. Oh, I thought...
And they said... They're like, "Hey, idiot. Like, this is on this page. " Yeah, go see these guys.
Really classy. They were really good. Now, here's what's even cooler about that. One of the guys that said that is actually another retailer.
Oh. Yeah. Who doesn't have it? Oh, he may.
He may. He may. But, you know, but he's entrenched in the industry. His name's Jeff.
He's part of Classic Cigars Tulsa. And he said, hey, hey, or, you know, like, maybe you should check out this place that's promoting it and real classy of you to kind of slide that in. Oh, because it's off the Cigar Hustler thing. Yeah.
I gotcha, I gotcha. And I'm like, how, first of all, how shady is it of the first retailer to do that? Which is wild to me. And they're a big one.
Right. And then I'm like, how cool is it of some of the other retailers to stick up for the other retailers? Like, that is awesome. And like, that's what, I love that.
Like, that would, if I took anything away from that, I thought that that was absolutely fascinating. I really wanted to share that story with you. If people are on social media, you need to be weary of what's going on with this fake stuff. Like, people will purposely act like they're doing something and they're not real.
And even if they are an account, they could have just been hacked. Sure. Right. Yeah.
And not to mention that like community is super important when it comes to working together. You know, another thing that I saw was Joe Pasquale is now he's going, he started his own podcast. Oh, did he? Yeah.
Oh, I didn't know that. With his own, with the retailer that he's doing. And it looks pretty good. He's got some good cameras and some stuff.
It's a nice setup. It's kind of similar to ours in some fashion. And I'm like, absolutely, man, this is great. The more of that, the more I see of that, the happier I am, because that'll be better for this industry.
Sure. Okay, my rant's over. I think we make it look incredibly easy to do. After seven or going on year eight.
Yeah. Yeah, that's true. So it makes more people want to do it. Like, oh, those idiots did it.
Well, I could do it. I mean, that's so true. And I will tell you this, that, you know, I'm starting to see more clips from people, and that's probably, I don't know if it's because of us, it's probably because of us. And look, but the reality is, that's all a good thing, like you want all of that to happen and build, so that we can increase our consumers, and a better understanding of this whole thing that we do, so, more power to all you guys, keep doing what you're doing, you know, the podcasters that listen to us, the retailers that support us, and all, like let's keep going man, let's keep this thing on that right level.
And you're welcome for us being the pioneers. You don't know that dude, you don't, you can't say that. Well I'm just doing my AI thing. We're betting on it, you know, he's a bad gambler.
He betted on Kelsey or whatever that thing is called. Cashy, yeah, Cashy. Cashy. Who did he bet on yesterday, just so we can check it, is it tomorrow?
It's today. It's today, the game's today? So we have to find out tomorrow. Yeah, you have to release it tomorrow.
Michigan State. Michigan State over Michigan to take over Michigan. Gotcha, I knew it was somebody over some state thing. All right, Cigar News.
M Bombay's Mora returns with a pair of aged releases. Ooh. Since 2020, Mel Shaw's M Bombay brand has been relatively dormant, at least until last year, when its cigars began appearing at stores last year. Okay.
The Department of the Redundancy Department. The company has announced that it is bringing back its Mora brand with new yet old cigars. The blend is new or at least different from the one that was introduced in 2014, but the cigars were rolled in 2019. For this release, Mora is using a Mexican San Andreas wrapper over an Ecuadorian binder and fillers from Honduras, Nicaragua, and Pennsylvania.
In contrast to 2014, blend uses a Dominican wrapper over a Peruvian binder and fillers from Dominican Republic and Ecuador like with the original in Bombay cigars. So it's the same cigar but completely different. Oh, perfect. It's exactly the same, however, it's not the same.
It's not the same. Not the same. The new Mbombe Mora's are offered in two Vitolas, the Robusto and the Toro. Because the cigars were rolled in 2019, there are limited quantities of each Mbombe says that there are 2,768 boxes, it's kind of a weird number, of the Mora Robusto with 2,764 boxes of the Toro.
Mbombe says the cigars are shipping this week. Are we going to get more of the Mora? Um, well, we don't carry-- We don't carry in Bombay. But we've had-- I've heard good things about him.
I have too, you know, but I've never had one, and I-- and he-- I did notice he disappeared and that he has come back. Well, it's very tough, you know. This is a hard industry. He had some family problems or something, if I remember correctly.
I think that he started focusing on wine as well, is what I heard. Could be. Oh, he developed a drinking problem? Yeah.
Wine's probably easier. Cigar's tough. A lot of people drink wine. Boots, do you like wine?
No, I hate it. You hate wine? Gives you headaches? Yeah, it gives me headaches.
What if there was like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup? The tannins, is it the tannins that give you the headache? The what? The tannins.
No, it's the sulfites. What if there was a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup? Wine. That wouldn't be a wine.
That'd be a liqueur. Are you sure? And I would drink that. What if they stepped on them like grapes and a little bit of liquid comes out and they just do a lot of them?
Again, it would be a liqueur, and I would drink it. Why does it have to be a liqueur? How would that be a wine? Because they're mashing it, like, with grapes.
Because you step on it, then it has to be a wine? Yeah, that's like how to be an expert, you have to eat three of them, and how do you make wine? You have to step on it with your feet. Anything you step on with your feet is considered wine.
Hey, how come when we had the police story, we didn't call down the hearth? That would have been a great time to call somebody. Oh, you probably should have mentioned it at that time. Yeah, I forgot.
You want to call them piggy, piggy, piggy and see what happens? You want to ask him, like, hey, if I call you a pig, do you get angry? Like, you're in Buffalo, so maybe you guys big people, I'm not sure. Well, you can't say if you call them pig, because we could probably call them pig without any problem.
You have to say, if you were at Starbucks, and somebody drew a pig on your coffee cup, would that upset you? Jerry would probably go. Would Caleb get mad? Oh, look, it's a cute pig.
Yeah, I think Jerry would be. Yeah, I don't see Jerry getting. He'd be unaffected. Yeah, I think so.
I don't think Jerry would be. Or maybe Gio, you know, he does the roid rage stuff. It's very possible. Jerry might go, what's your name?
Pig. Just put a pig on the cup. It'll be fine. Perfect.
You know, if you want to draw something. If you want to draw something on it. I'm glad I'm dealing with Starbucks in that crack. And I got news for you.
Why aren't you ordering ahead anyways? They have no idea. Yeah. Why don't I hit the button?
Well, it sounds like he had to have walked in. That's what I'm saying. Just use the app, order it, walk in. They'll have no idea.
Well, maybe it takes longer, and he wanted a little breaky break. Yeah, I don't think it takes longer. Oh, it takes longer to go inside, wait in line. Right.
Maybe when he does that, they give him discounts on coffee. Oh, maybe he went in because he was in the uniform. Was he in the uniform? There could be more to this story.
Maybe something happened to this guy's family member that drew the pig. First of all, there's always something, there's always more to the story. Right. You know, never mind.
There's a lot of questions you could ask, but some of them seem to be racist in my head. They probably are. Of course they are. Just let it go.
You don't want to come across as racist. No, I don't want to do that. I haven't done that in months. Right.
Cigar Oasis expands Oasis pack offerings. Cigar Oasis, the company best known for its electronic humidifiers, has expanded the two different types of Oasis Pack portable humidification packs it offers. What is it doing with the writing this week? Cigar Oasis Company is best known for its electronic.
You write it. No, no, Half Wheel Stories I take directly. Oh. That's also why they had the titles at the top, so I have now deleted the titles.
Must have been a lot of lemonade and cocoa nibs. Oasis Pack is a private label brand made by Integra Products for Cigar Oasis is offered in two different sizes, a 67-gram pack that can be used in a desktop humidifier and an 8-gram pack that is made for travel humidors and for shipping cigars. Previously, the 67-gram was offered in a 69% and 75%, but there are now 65% and 72% options as well, regardless of the humidity level, it's priced at... Oh, anybody want to guess?
It's a fun game. One pack? It's a pouch? This is the pack, the bigger pack.
What's it sold for? Okay. You want to go? Was that 10 in it?
No, one. Just one. You want to go? 99.
$7. 50. Yes. That's a great price.
That is a great price. You know, it is kind of remarkable. Are you done? Because there's something that's interesting about this whole thing.
Well, I mean, also, the company added a 69% level for the eight-gram packs, too. Oh. Right. Right.
Like the other two, wait, maybe if you get your packs, the Oasis pack comes wrapped in plastic, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I think the Bovatas are like four, though, now that I said seven. 99. 99.
All right, go ahead, what were you going to say? What is kind of interesting is this is a company that has been built this entire time about this fan operating system. Right, I had one. Right, and now they're pivoting off of it and getting into the pouches.
Right. Yeah, 'cause they're not selling probably anymore 'cause the people that bought 'em don't need 'em 'cause they last for so long. Well, they've obviously seen that the pouches are cutting into their market share. Sell better.
So, instead of just continuing to try and run against it, they're gonna compete in that market space, which is interesting, but unfortunately, it doesn't sound like, I don't know what the current pricing is for Boveda, but they have to be, you know, if you, if somebody's already in that, You've got to be competitive. You've got to be competitive, yeah. And they're offering something that's exactly the same. Right.
You can't come in at a higher price point and think that you're going to compete. Maybe they're thinking there's less longer. Or maybe they're saying there's less longer. Maybe.
I don't know. Could just call it. They do seem fatter and wetter than a Boveda. But Bovedas feel better made.
That was just amazing what you just said. Thank you. Yeah, fatter and wetter. Fatter and wetter.
I don't think I would have gone there. Can I get you guys a little excited when I say fatter and wetter? But you think that the Boveda... Too bad you both don't have sweatpants on, I can tell.
If you could just say, I'm Preston, fatter and wetter, that'd be great. I need you to role play for me. Say that what now? What exactly do you want me to say?
No, I don't want you to say it. I, Preston. So my point is, though... Yeah, now you didn't know what to do.
Yeah, so my point is that you just said Boveda's... They look like they're built better, though. Yes. So, if they look like they're built better and they're a better price point, then why would you go and, "Oh, you know, I'm going to buy this for a higher price"?
Because it lasts longer. Gotcha. My desktop humidor has a little tiny oasis in it. Yeah.
Just because I already had it. Still there. Well, I mean, no investment. You put some water in it every once in a while, you're good to go.
Oh, it's that type of an oasis. I don't know if it was a boat. Yeah, yeah. No, no, it's a little oasis about this big.
It's big. Okay. It's like a little sponge. There's a sponge in it.
Yeah. Yeah. And a fan. But it's tiny.
It's a little guy. It's a little guy. All right. El Septimo adds Canadian distribution via Tobac Arsenal.
Oh, Chami Tav is going to be so excited. You guys, El Septimo is now available in Canada? Yeah. Yep.
Yeah. I imagine so. How was it not? Isn't that guy like French or something?
Yeah. Yeah. What does that have to do with Canada? In Canada, predominantly French?
French-Canadians. French-Canadians. But that's not owned by France. There's French people there?
French-Canadians. So there's French people there, so... Yeah, he should be there. That's an interesting approach.
Okay. I'm just saying, I mean, the demographic, I mean, I guess you would think... How is Don King not in Canada? You know what I mean?
Yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, see, I read the title.
I shouldn't have read the title. Damn it. Half-Wheeling their titles. We'll just do better.
El Septimo has announced that it has entered into the Canadian market via a new distribution agreement with Tobac Arsenal. Sound like a soccer team. Mm-hmm. The company's cigars began arriving in the country last week, and consumers should start seeing them on store shelves before long.
Looking at the distributor's website, it is carrying a handful of selections from across El Septimo's portfolio at the moment, Including the Sacred Arts Collection, Sacred Arts Collection, Raphael, sorry, the Sacred Arts Collection, Rembrandt, and the Imperial, Emperor Collection, Augustus, Connecticut, the Emperor Collection, Yao, Connecticut, and the Emperor Collection, Empress Shiba Maduro. Beyond El Septimo, Tobacco Arsenal distributes PDR Cigars, Sinclair Cigars, other well-known as Paleo, and Zykar Accessories, which are part of Quality Importers Trading Company. The company is located just outside Toronto and somewhere in Ontario. I have no idea how you say that.
Ooh, I want to hear it. It's French. Itoboco. Itoboco?
Itobicoke? Itobicoke? I don't know. It's French Potomac.
It's French in Ontario. What does it mean? Is it... It means you drink more Coke.
They like Coke there too, like you said earlier. Itobicoke? Yeah, E-T-O-B-I, Coke. C-O-K-E.
There you go. That's how you get more people out. You name a city and a country. Drink more coke.
That's probably what it means. Drink more coke. In Canadian. That's how you call Greenland, Greenland.
And when you show up, it's just ice. Right. Green in Greenland. Got 'em.
Yeah. Well, nobody wants to come here. I'd love to hear John McTavish pronounce this place. Yeah.
John McTavish, when you send me your next message, can you do an audio of how you say this country? He will. Unfortunately, it's going to take him about three months to get there. Right, until he catches up.
Well, he should do that. " Right. I don't know what's going on here. What boots?
He should do it in an Arnold Schwarzenegger voice. Why? Yeah. You didn't know he does that?
Well, we have an Arnold Schwarzenegger... John McTavish does... He likes to do impersonations. He does Arnold Schwarzenegger?
I believe he does, but he's not as good as Arnold Schwarzenegger. Well, it's the Canadian Schwarzenegger. Oh, he says A a lot of times? Yeah.
Talks about bacon that's round and flat like ham? Yeah. I gotcha. Go ahead.
All right, the Bocock brothers are at it again, fellas. Oh, another college? Another college. Another college.
Go ahead, fellas. Bocock Brothers, a boutique cigar maker known for its officially licensed collegiate editions, has just expanded its lineup with two standout releases tailored for college fans and cigar aficionados alike. Ooh, ooh, ooh. Can we guess the college?
Wait, wait. I'll make it easier for you. There is a college and then a specific player. Not at this college.
Oh, so it's only one college, one player. One college, one player. So he's not at the college? Not as far as I know.
Or he used to be at the college? That I have no idea. Yeah, it's Miami and Marvin Harrison. Nope.
Or Michael, I'm sorry, Michael Irvin. Nope. I feel like they're in the South East a lot. Did he say Michael Herklots?
No, Irvin. Is it the Gators? No. FSU?
Are we just going to keep going, do you name every college? I'm going to name, let me give you three names. Is it Ed Reed? One more.
It's not Ed Reed. It's not what? Ed Reed. It's Ed Reed.
It's Lou Ferrigno. Are you going to guess? I guess. He already guessed his three.
Miami and Michael Irvin. He yelled them out. That was one. He doesn't need any more.
He said Marvin Harrison. He said Marvin Gaye. That was the wrong one, though. He thought it was Marvin Gaye.
Guess another college. Okay, give us a region. No, no, just guess where this place is. No, I'm not narrowing it down for you.
Is it East or West? Yes. I'm not telling you. Okay.
Just guess already. Why don't you just tell you what it is and then you can say the name after like you thought of it? Let's do California. No.
Forget it, dude. Just tell us. Syracuse Special Edition Corojo. Okay.
The new Collegiate Cigar Honor, Syracuse University. You couldn't have just guessed? Syracuse? Syracuse?
I was trying to guess places. You could have just said like Auburn, Ohio State. I said California. No, that's a state.
I hate when the kids fight. California University? But that's not what you were saying. You didn't say California University.
Children, don't make me turn this car around. You know that you were just trying to name a state. Okay, who's the player though? Children, don't make me come back, there's it between you two.
If you say Carmel Anthony. Carmel Anthony. I don't know, I ain't got that far yet. Let me read the first story.
Bring an orange pride to the lounge or tailgating ritual. It's rolled with a Honduran Corojo wrapper paired with Nicaragua binder and a blend of Honduran and Nicaragua fillers. A combination that typically delivers a rich, balanced smoke with notes of earth, spice, and subtle sweetness. Why is it always subtle sweetness?
Just because it's not over the top. 50, wow, did you say the box was blue? Yes, Syracuse blue, they're the Syracuse orangeman, it's, it's blue, with an orange logo on it. So the colors must be blue and orange, I'm guessing.
All right. The player, oh, sorry. The player is from Mississippi State. Oh, wow.
That really. Mississippi State. Oh, Mississippi State, not Mississippi City. Syracuse's colors are blue and orange.
Okay. From Mississippi, I don't know. Carmelo Anthony. I don't even know who that is, Michael.
Mississippi State. Mississippi State. No idea. Dak Prescott.
Oh! You know who he is? Yeah. Are you kidding me?
I don't know who he is. He's the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. Dude, you've really got to turn on the TV. If I do, it's not going to show me sports.
It's Animal Planet. It's a movie. It's hard to find a movie I haven't seen anymore. Do they have the National Geographic on Animal Planet?
It's on Sling. And you watch it. No, I don't watch it. I didn't watch his World War II history videos.
Is that where they get the super rare tobacco from? I would, if it was not that old time, but I don't know as a rule. World War II? Yeah, because I was there.
The other new release is celebrating Dak Prescott's collegiate route at Mississippi State University. Blending supporting heritage with premium tobacco craftsmanship. This version uses a Sumatra wrapper over Honduran and Nicaraguan. Tobacco is offering a slightly different flavor profile that leans into bold, spicy characteristics with smooth complexity and subtle sweetness.
Subtle sweetness. The box art features Mississippi State branding and Prescott signature, making it a standout for fans of the NFL star and Bulldogs. So what's his sticks cost, gentlemen? 20 count bucks.
Yeah, why is it Bulldogs? I have no idea. Are we talking about Syracuse University, or are we talking about like- No, this is Mississippi State. Is it Mississippi State Bulldogs?
So... Like the Georgia Bulldogs? It's not from the same college. Correct.
Okay. Oh, yeah, it's different. Mississippi State is where this Prescott fellow went. This Prescott fellow.
You know, Skip's really going to berate you on this whole thing because he does like the Cowboys. I don't hear sports. I don't know sports. I just like saying Bocock.
It is a Bulldog. Well, there we go. I knew nothing about Dak Prescott's early life. Or Mississippi State.
Yeah. Except that you should take them and the over. I thought he was talking about, like, the actual state. Price of the cigars, gentlemen, price of the cigars, come on, 20 count bucks, hello?
Is this thing on? Is this thing on? Is this thing on? Hello?
25 bucks. Dak Prescott is cigar. $15. $15.
What did Boot say? $25. 25. Why does it matter what I said when he's a dollar away?
Because you said yours first. I just want to confirm how wrong you were. Maybe you would have said the exact price. How do I know?
25. Too late now. In context, both cigars are part of Bocock Brothers' larger Collegiate Series, officially licensed premium cigar honoring various universities, distinct blends, and school-themed packaging. These releases reflect the company's strategy of blending tobacco, craftsmanship, and college students and fan identity.
This is a brilliant marketing strategy. I know I've said it before. Perfect for game days, alumni gatherings, or collectors, these two editions give fans a smoke with a story, celebrating heritage, athletics, and finely crafted tobacco. You can only buy these on the Bocock website currently.
Really? The Bococky? Yeah, maybe the school store, not Bococky, Bocock. Maybe the school store, or whatever it's called, does not have a tobacco license.
I need you to bring this energy all the time. This is what we need from you all the time. Have you seen any of the other cigars that they made? Like, seen people smoke them?
No. I don't hang out at colleges at football games. Yeah. Like, have they taken pictures and put them online is what I'm talking about.
Nobody, nobody upstairs has been walking in with a Syracuse University cigar. Yeah, like, hey, check this out. Hey, look what I got. Bought it online.
I'm a big Syracuse guy. Big Syracuse guy, right. We care. However, there's a market.
All the colleges. However, there is a market for that. Well, he's, they've taken on some other ones. They've done LSU.
Yeah, they've done four or five different colleges. Yeah. And then they do like a player from a school. How do you not do University of Florida?
The University of Florida. I don't know. Maybe because they won't sell them the licensing? Yeah, maybe they got to work on the agreement.
It's not like you just go, you know what, I would like to do one for Syracuse. Fuck you, I'm doing it now. Gators. Get their logo online.
Right. Yeah, and then we'll do the Gators. Get that alligator. I like that alligator a lot.
Do they have a Bocock cigar? Yes. Their own cigars? Yes, they have their own cigars.
Okay, so it's not just universities. These are the guys that discovered that you should make San Andreas. That's those guys, right? I think so.
Yeah. We have invented the San Andreas cigar. Now the Sumatra. Wow, that's a great idea.
That was a show I saw it on. When he does that, everybody gets five minutes and then it runs into 15. Right. All right, now we have the fastest growing game on the internet and in the cigar industry.
What's the score? I was on point on that one. You were, boots was off. No, I was, I had the microphone ringing.
He's over there doing things with his fingers. I had the microphone ringing. I had to change the cameras at the same time. So, my fingers and words not working.
This is from January 12th, 2018. Charlie Monado Cigars. It's a Honduran cigar. Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Company Review, 2012 by Oscar Barberpole.
2012, Barberpole. You want me to go first? Yeah. to me 84 oh starting low 84 same thing are you not trying today why did you say starting low because 84 is a low introductory guess all you got was a name that you mean we were lower than their score because don king told me don king didn't all right it's a 2012 oscar 2012 is not it's all it's got that yes you know it's from honduras the oscar validaris tobacco and company to Candela and Mexican San Andreas.
The Binder, Nicaraguan. Okay. Honduran and Nicaraguan. Length, 6x52 Toro.
97. And they smoke three cigars. Mm. 84.
84. Oh, my God. What? All right.
Come on, Palmer. All right, did you guys guess? Yeah, we guessed. Yeah, Jack is trying to call me.
Oh, yeah. You should pick it up. Ask him if he's called the Syracuse Cigar. All right, clue number one, the cigar delivers a complex and involving flavor profile moving from toast, charcoal, and nuttiness into unique notes like pizza, oh, he's calling because I said he wasn't my favorite host.
Oh, you're in trouble. Oh, that's not up till Thursday. Oh, that's right, it was a Patreon. Yeah.
Well, now he's got to see it twice in a row. Charcoal and nuttiness into unique notes like pizza crust, orange peel, peanut butter, caramel sweetness, keeping the experience engaging from start to finish. This is my favorite cigar. I'm getting hungry now.
Subtle sweetness. I'm going to smoke. 85. 86.
Ooh. Ooh. This is a separation. Blue number two.
Despite some unusual flavor descriptions, a reviewer found the cigar quite enjoyable overall with full flavor, balanced medium strength, and interesting transitions such as the return of the nuttiness and improved finish in the final third. That was it? That was it? That was the second clue.
What do you want? Want me to say the number in the second clue next time? Yeah. 87.
You went up off of that clue? 86. What did he say? 86.
86. Let's see. Construction is the main drawback. The cigar suffered from wrapper burn issues and a consistently tight draw, requiring multiple touch-ups throughout the smoke.
-85 -85 -84 - For many years, if you asked someone to name a barber pole that was good, you would get a singular answer, Arturo Fuente, Hemingway between the lines. -Really? -That's changed of late thanks to the effort from La Flor Dominicana, Quesada, Roma Craft Tobac, and others. You can now add Oscar Valladares to the list, Candela, Box Press, barber pole or not.
This is another winner from the company. I'd recommend it at 12, 13, but at 9, it's an easy recommend for a box purchase, even if Candela isn't your thing. You'd recommend it. 87.
That's a good number. I know. I've done this before. Is this the final thought?
Yes. That was it. We're done. 88.
Ooh, nice move, 90. Yes, baby! Ba-bong! Ba-bong.
Ba-bong. Ba-bong. What happened to Bing-bong? Bing-bong.
Ba-bong. We can't make another shirt. I can't spell ba-bong. Ba-bong.
We need 12 more shirts this year. Or 11, though. One a month. Well, Smoke and Subscribe just got launched.
Yeah. All right. Anybody got anything else? We're done.
You should pick up the phone for Jack, see if he's ever smoked the Bocock. Cigars. That's it, that's all I got. All right, guys, this is it of an episode 447 of Cigar Hustler Podcast.
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Show Notes
On Today Show
Disney Ticket Now 10 Million dollars, Florida Has Cheap Gas!, Here Piggy Piggy its coffee time! Then in cigars El Septimo goes to Canada eh, an another new cigar, The oasis is wet and Bocock boys are back in the news! Then we wrap it up with a what’s The score! Brittany edition